The invention relates to an operating device with two-dimensional dialogue movement to select and call functions and groups of functions, especially for use in motor vehicles.
It is known from the prior art to enter commands in data processing systems by using typewriter keyboards with additional control keys. Especially in personal computers (PCs), it is conventional to represent functions and groups of functions on a screen by appropriate icons and to select them by means of an indicating marker (cursor) that can be moved across the screen in the horizontal and/or vertical direction, and to call them by actuating a particular switch (carriage return or CR for example). In this case, the cursor can be moved horizontally and vertically across the screen by operating four arrow keys. This procedure is time-consuming and cumbersome, however. For this reason, a hand-held pointing device, a so-called mouse, is frequently employed. The movement of the cursor across the screen is produced by sliding the mouse on a flat surface in the desired direction that corresponds to the position on the screen. When the cursor is on the desired icon, the function represented by the icon can be selected by pressing a button and thereby executed.
The use of a mouse, however, can only be recommended on flat, even surfaces. On uneven surfaces, considerable attention and skill are required on the part of the operator to align the cursor with the desired icon. In addition, the surface over which the mouse is moved must have a considerable area.